Rockets' Howard posts up bullying

Dwight Howard leads a pep rally at Cypress Lakes on March 28. The high school won the party by participating in Howard's Block Out Violence campaign.

Dwight Howard leads a pep rally at Cypress Lakes on March 28. The...

Rockets center Dwight Howard is 6-11, an NBA All-Star and a role model to millions - not the image of someone who is bullied.

But Howard gets a daily dose of it.

During road games, Howard is often the target of boos and taunts from opposing fans. His Twitter timeline and Instagram comments from his naysayers aren't always G-rated.

Despite the negativity he encounters daily, Howard has found a way to stay positive and block out the hate.

This year, he has taken that philosophy to another level with his Block Out Violence program.

The campaign, which was launched last month in junior high and high schools in Houston, promotes anti-bullying, nonviolence, respect and acceptance. The program has taken off, spreading through social media and prompting the NBA to award Howard with the Kia Community Assist Award on Friday night when the Rockets beat Oklahoma City.

Translator

To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.

Howard, 28, said the award was nice recognition but this isn't his first contribution to the area and won't be his last. One of Howard's top priorities when he came to the Rockets was getting involved in the community.

Along with the Block Out Violence program, he has worked with the Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Club this season.

"Being a part of the community is important to me," Howard said. "I have the ability to be a role model and to give my money and my time to people who can benefit from that. I take that pretty seriously."

His new venture is close to his heart. Howard's father was a Georgia state trooper and always preached protecting and serving the community.

"I'm not a cop like my dad was, but I picked up on those ideals," Howard said. "I can help those around me in a different way."

A few months ago, a Houston police officer told Howard about gang violence in the area. A teenager was shot and the officer was on the scene, watching the victim's friends and family mourn the loss.

Several people have told Howard stories about teenagers they know committing suicide because of Internet bullying.

So Howard thought the next step was to take on bullying.

The program got off the ground when 32 area schools participated in making their own Block Out Violence campaigns and spreading the word through their student bodies. Howard chose a middle school, Hodges, and a high school, Cypress Lakes, as winners and held rallies at each.

He had a clear message for the students.

'Be positive'

"You have to be positive and you have to love yourself," Howard said. "If you can do that, you won't feel the need to be negative to other people and you won't let other people being negative get to you."

Howard said he has faced scrutiny and criticism over the years, but in the last couple of years, he has learned to leave all the chatter behind and be himself.

"I can remember times I let those people get to me, and I wasn't a happy person then," he said. "But now I just live for me and I'm a happy-go-lucky guy who likes to focus on the positive. I make sure I do that every day."

Take it national

The next step for Howard is to take the Block Out Violence program national.

"I would like to have a representative on every NBA team spreading the word and getting their communities involved," Howard said. "Bullying and violence is a big problem everywhere, and we have the chance to do something about it.